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Home , Simon the Zealot

I. AUTHOR A. Peter ( 1Pet 1:1 , 8; 5:1 ) Peter's authorship was not questioned until the nineteenth century (Constable). 1. Peter’s given name was Simon. 2. gave him the name Cephas ( John 1:42 ). Cephas means stone or rock. The Greek translation of the Aramaic word Cephas is petros which also means stone or rock. Peter is the only man in the called by this name. 3. Peter occupied a favored place among the apostles. (Matt 10:2-4, Mk 3:16-19, 5:37, 9:2; Lk 6:13-16 :2-4 :16-19 Luke 6:13-16 Acts 1:13 (NASB) (NASB) (NASB) (NASB) 2 Now the names of 16 And He 13 And when day 13 When they the twelve apostles appointed the came, He called His had entered the are these: The first, twelve: Simon (to disciples to Him and city, they went Simon, who is called whom He gave the chose twelve of up to the upper Peter, and Andrew name Peter), them, whom He room where his brother; and 17 and James, the also named as they were James the son of son of , apostles: staying; that is, Zebedee, and John and John the 14 Simon, whom Peter and John his brother; brother of James (to He also named and James and 3 Philip and them He gave the Peter, and Andrew Andrew, Philip Bartholomew; name Boanerges, his brother; and and Thomas, Thomas and which means, James and John; Bartholomew Matthew the tax "Sons of Thunder"); and Philip and and Matthew, James the son collector; James the 18 and Andrew, Bartholomew; son of , and 15 of Alphaeus, and Philip, and and Matthew and Simon the Thaddaeus; Bartholomew, and and Thomas; 4 Zealot, and Simon the Zealot, Matthew, and James the son of Judas the son of and , Thomas, and Alphaeus, and James. the one who James the son of Simon who was betrayed Him. Alphaeus, and called the Zealot; Thaddaeus, and 16 Judas the son Simon the Zealot; of James, and 19 and Judas Judas Iscariot, who Iscariot, who became a traitor. betrayed Him. i. The three names at the head of each group seem to have been the group leaders. The three groups always appear in the same order: first Peter's group, then the group led by Philip, then the group headed by James. (MacArthur, John (2002-11-18). Twelve Ordinary Men (p. 30). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. ) Matthew 10:2–4 Mark 3:16–19 Luke 6:14–16 Acts 1:13

Peter Peter Peter Peter Andrew James Andrew John James John James James John Andrew John Andrew Philip Philip Philip Philip ii. MacArthur, John (2002-11-18). Twelve Ordinary Men (p. 30). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. 4. He occupied a central place in the book of Acts (first 12 chapters). 5. He married and lived in Capernaum.

i. 6. He worked in fishing business with his brother Andrew. (John 1:40, John 6:8)) 7. The Lord came to him in a special appearance after the resurrection ( Luke 24:34 ; I Cor. 15:5 ). 8. God used Peter to win 3,000 souls to on . (Acts 2) 9. Peter had an important part in the first Church council in Acts 15 (AD 50; Peter is not mentioned after this in the book of Acts). 10. Paul refers to Peter in Galatians 1:18 ; 2:11 ; 1Cor. 1-4 ; 9:5 . B. Peter was literate but unschooled. 1. “What qualified these men to be apostles? Obviously it was not any intrinsic ability or outstanding talent of their own. They were Galileans. They were not the elite. Galileans were deemed low-class, rural, uneducated people. They were commoners—nobodies. But again, they were not selected because they were any more distinguished or more talented than others in Israel at the time.” MacArthur, John (2002-11-18). Twelve Ordinary Men (pp. 9-10). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. 2. “God chooses the humble, the lowly, the meek, and the weak so that there's never any question about the source of power when their lives change the world. It's not the man; it's the truth of God and the power of God in the man. (We need to remind some preachers today of this. It's not their cleverness or their personality. The power is in the Word—the truth that we preach—not in us.) And apart from one Person—one extraordinary human being who was God incarnate, the Lord Jesus Christ—the history of God's work on earth is the story of His using the unworthy and molding them for His use the same careful way a potter fashions clay. The Twelve were no exception to that.” MacArthur, John (2002-11-18). Twelve Ordinary Men (pp. 11-12). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. i. Called from his trade as a fisherman. ( Luke 5:1-11 ). ii. Called to be a fisher of men. C. Peter’s public ministry spanned 30 years and stretched from Jerusalem to Rome. D. Peter employed as his secretary to write the letter ( I Pet. 5:12 ). Silas was a Roman citizen (Acts 16:36-37 ). E. Parallels between I Peter and his sermons in Acts: Cf. I Peter 1:20 with Acts 2:23 ; cf. I Peter 4:5 with Acts 10:42 Cf. I Peter 2:7-8 and Acts 4:10-11 1 Peter 1:20 (NASB) Acts 2:23 (NASB) 20 For He was foreknown before the foundation 23 this Man, delivered over by the of the world, but has appeared in these last predetermined plan and foreknowledge of times for the sake of you God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death.

1 Peter 4:5 (NASB) Acts 10:42 (NASB) 5 but they will give account to Him who is ready 42 "And He ordered us to preach to the to judge the living and the dead. people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead.

1 Peter 2:7-8 (NASB) Acts 4:10-11 (NASB) 7 This precious value, then, is for you who 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the believe; but for those who disbelieve, " THE people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, THIS BECAME THE VERY CORNER stone, " whom God raised from the dead—by this 8 and, "A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A name this man stands here before you in ROCK OF OFFENSE"; for they stumble because good health. they are disobedient to the word, and to this 11 "He is the STONE WHICH WAS doom they were also appointed. REJECTED by you, THE BUILDERS, but WHICH BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone. 1. In each passage (last example), Psalm 118:22 is quoted and applied to Christ to refer to his rejection by Jewish leaders. F. I Peter is quoted extensively in early church history. 1. This was quoted extensively in the early church in such writings as the letters of , Clement and . 2. Martyred by Nero (Tertullian, , Lactantius; Clement of Rome, tell us he suffered martyrdom). 3. Origin said he was crucified with his head downwards. 4. He died AD 67-68. II. DATE A. AD 64 B. This was shortly before Nero’s persecution. 1. Peter warns that persecution is imminent. III. DESTINATION

A. Peter wrote to the five Roman provinces of Asia Minor in what is modern day northern Turkey. B. Many Jews lived in these provinces therefore many quotations from the Old Testament are found in I Peter 1:1 . Dispora” (Jews who lived outside Palestine and y et looked on it as their native land) C. To Christians everywhere ( 1Pet 1:18-19 ,23 ; 2:10 ,24 ). D. Peter was especially the apostle to the Jews ( Gal. 2:7-8 ). E. The epistle was written predominantly to Hebrew Christians but also includes Christians. IV. PURPOSE A. The purpose of I Peter is to enable Christians to face persecution in the grace of God ( 1Pet 5:12 ), to prepare them for suffering. 1. “...five major motifs in 1 Peter. These are: (1) the believer's behavior, (2) the believer's unfair circumstances, (3) the believer's deference, (4) the believer's motivation by Christ's example, and (5) the believer's anticipation of future glory” (2013 Edition Dr. Constable's Notes on 1 Peter ) B. A secondary purpose is to encourage believers to face persecution and suffering ( 1Pet 1:6-7 ; 5:8-9 ). C. Peter encourages believers to lift their eyes above present difficulties to God’s grace. He shows them the hope ahead ( 1Pet 1:3 ). He points to the example of Christ ( 1Pet 2:21-23 ). V. OUTLINE A. Salutation ( 1Pet 1:1-2 ) A. Author ( 1Pet 1:1a ) B. Addressees ( 1Pet 1:1b-2 ) B. Perspective in Suffering ( 1Pet 1:3-2:10 ) 1. The perspective of hope ( 1Pet 1:3-12 ) 2. The perspective of the Word ( 1Pet 1:13-25 ) 3. The perspective of a new position ( 1Pet 2:1-10 ) C. The Pressures of Suffering ( 1Pet 2:11-4:11 ) 1. Pressure of evil desires ( 1Pet 2:11-12 ) 2. Pressure of the state ( 1Pet 2:13-17 ) 3. Pressure of employment ( 1Pet 2:18-25 ) 4. Pressure of the home ( 1Pet 3:1-7 ) 5. Pressure of social life in the church ( 1Pet 3:8-12 ) 6. Pressure of the world ( 1Pet 3:13-4:6 ) 7. Pressure of service ( 1Pet 4:7-11 ) D. Prescriptions for Suffering ( 1Pet 4:12-5:11 ) 1. Prescriptions for endurance in suffering ( 1Pet 4:12-19 ) 2. Prescriptions for right attitudes in suffering ( 1Pet 5:1-11 ) i. Attitudes of elders ( 1Pet 5:1-4 ) ii. Attitudes of all believers ( 1Pet 5:5-10 ) E. Conclusion ( 1Pet 5:12-14 ) VI. CANONICITY (PROOF OF WHY THIS BOOK BELONGS IN THE ) A. External Evidence (Note year indicates the earliest date for author's writing) 1. Irenaeus quotes it (175 A.D.) 2. Tertullian quotes it (190A.D.) 3. Clement (Alexandria) quotes it (195 A.D.) 4. Clement of Rome quotes it (96 A.D.) 5. Polycarp quotes it (116 A.D.) 6. Epistle of Diognetus quotes it (117A.D.) 7. Testament of the 12 uses it (120 A.D.) 8. Papias uses it (120 A.D.) 9. Hermas uses it (130 A.D.) Unanimously cited as authentic B. Internal Evidence 1. Calls himself Peter ( 1Pet 1:1 ) 2. Acquainted with the life of Christ and his teachings 1Pet 5:5 - allusion to Christ girding himself with a towel ( John 13:35 ) 1Pet 5:2 - feed the flock ( John 21:15-17 ) 4:14 ; 5:7,8 - sayings of the Lord 1Pet 5:1 - “witness of the sufferings of Christ” ( 1Pet 3:18 ; 4:1 ) Lingers over the person of Christ in his sufferings ( 1Pet 2:19-24 ) VII. BACKGROUND A. Asia Minor was highly heterogeneous. B. Asia Minor was prosperous. C. Religion was eclectic. D. Jews had privileged position in Asia Minor. VIII.PLACE OF WRITING A. Babylon ( 1Pet 5:13 ), the city on the Euphrates, not Rome. B. Babylon was the center of the Eastern Dispersion. IX. OCCASION A. Ominous shadow of persecution was the occasion for the letter. B. After Nero’s persecution in Rome, Christians lived in fear for their lives. C. The persecution was unofficial, sporadic and social rather than legal ( 1 Pet 3:17 ; 4:1 ). D. The nature of the persecutions were slanderous attacks ( 1 Pet 4:14,15 ; 4:4,5 ; 2:13-17 ,11,12 ,16 ; 5:23 ) E. Suffering is mentioned 16 times (cf. 1Pet 1:6 ; 2:19 ; 3:14 ,17 ; 4:12-16 ; 5:9 ) X. THEMES A. Comfort for suffering Christians B. Hope in time of trial C. Cf. 1Pet 1:6,7 ; 2:12 ,19,20 ,21 ; 3:13,14 ,16,17 ; 4:1 ,4,12 ,14-16 ,19 ; 5:9-10 XI. Faith-Rest – A Grace Notes Study A. Introduction - 1. One of the consistent features of the Christian life is testing. 2. We live in i. a fallen world, ii. in an imperfect society, iii. among people whose way of life is directed by iv. and their own sin natures 3. We cannot avoid the friction, conflict, or confrontation that results from this. 4. We face daily disasters, small and great, which are brought on us suddenly by nature, by the ignorance or deliberate actions of other people, or even by our own mistakes and sins. 5. Faith-Rest is God's plan for Christians who are going through i. testing, ii. who are having problems. 6. Faith-Rest is the means by which Christians can have JOY: i. a happiness in this life which does not depend on people, circumstances, or things. ii. Think of it! God promises that you can have the peace and joy of God, in spite of what's happening in your life, iii. in spite of the problems and testing that you are going through. 7. Problems are endless, He knows all about our tests before they occur and has made provisions in advance to meet our needs. (Eph. 1:3,4) i. God the Father was thinking about us even before the creation. In His omniscience, He loved us and He knew our wretched fallen condition. So by His grace He made provision for our salvation by making it possible for us to be united with His Son, Jesus Christ. ii. A Christian has been set apart (sanctified) by God. The purpose clause here shows that by being chosen in Christ we began our Christian lives as “set apart” individuals. God intends for us to stay in fellowship, to keep apart from the world we live in, to be separated from kosmos doctrines, to be yielded, etc. Rom. 12:1,2 ; Ex. 19:6 ; Lev. 19:2-4 ; Luke 1:74,75 ; Eph. 4:22-32 iii. 1Cor 10:13 – Notes from ABC 1Cor Study: a. The only temptations that have ever taken you in are the temptations characteristic of the human realm; b. but God is faithful—Who will not grant permission for you to be tempted with an intensity above your power to endure, c. but on the contrary—together with every temptation He does permit—He will also make a victorious conclusion to that temptation so that by utilizing His victorious conclusion you will be empowered to endure. iv. Hebrews r4 – Wilderness generation did not find rest when they did not trust God to keep His promises. a. No need to make the same mistake. v. Whether the test is small or great, it is allowed by God to measure our faith and our application of the things He has provided for us in this life. (1Pet 1:7, 5:6-7). 8. Definition of Faith-Rest: i. Faith-Rest: the process of understanding, believing, and applying the doctrines and promises of God's Word in times of testing in the Christian life. ii. Hebrews 3-4 iii. Faith-Rest is designed to be used by the Christian throughout his lifetime, on a daily basis, as a technique for maintaining peace and spiritual balance during difficulties, problems, or disasters in life. Faith-Rest is one of the Christian's most important resources in making rapid progress toward Christian maturity and the production of divine good in the life. iv. There are two reasons why Christians fail to grow and prosper in the Christian life: a. he most common reason for failure to "enter into rest" is a lack of knowledge of God's plan and the assets He has provided for us. Christians who don't know what the Word of God says will never know the promises of God or the provisions He has made for testing. b. The other reason for failure is seen in the Children of Israel of the wilderness generation. They heard the teaching but did not mix it with faith, so they did not enter into rest (the promised land). v. Examples: a. , who first distrusted, then believed God, Genesis 15 b. The Bitter Water Test at Marah, Exodus 15 c. The No-Food Test and the First No-Water Test at Meribah, Exodus 16,17 d. The "Giant" Test, Numbers 13 and 14 e. The Second No-Water Test, Numbers vi. The Example of Abraham – Genesis 14 and 15 a. Example of complacent believer coming off great victory. Fear being one of Satan's chief weapons. (1Pet 5:8-9, Gen 15:1). ▪ God's solution for Abram is already been planned from eternity past ▪ God's solution for Abram is already in play. ▪ Abram only needs to follow the plan, wait on the Lord. (Duet. 31:6-8, Isa 41:10- 13). ▪ Who is the one making these promises? ▪ Our thinking about His promises can be related to His divine attributes, for example Isa 55:8-9: I. Sovereignty: God in His designed Faith/Rest as part of His plan for us. II. Righteousness: God is perfect goodness, so any trial will be good for us. III. Justice: Guarantees that His plan for us is fair, that we will always be treated justly. IV. Love: we know that every situation in life is governed by God's love for us. V. Eternal Life: God is eternal and we have everlasting life with Him through Christ's work on the Cross. God always plans with eternity in view. VI. Omniscience: God knows about my trials or sufferings even before they happen; and He has already planned what to do about them. VII. Omnipresence: God is always present and available to help. VIII. Omnipotence: God is all-powerful so He always has the capability to carry out his promises and to provide help in time of need. IX. Immutability: God never changes in His attitude toward us, and all of His characteristics remain the same, forever. X. Truth: God never lies; therefore what He has promised, He will perform (see Romans 4). b. Abraham has won a great victory, now he will complain and seek a human solution (Gen 15:2). c. Worry is often a sin. (Phil 4:6, Matt 14:31, Mark 11:23, James 1:5-6). d. Worry is the opposite of Faith-Rest, faith-rest is the answer to worry. e. Abraham has two choices: (Gen 15:3) ▪ (1) he can try to solve his own problems by worrying, fretting, planning, being upset and angry, trying to scrounge up answers, trying to work around things, etc., or ▪ (2) he can let God solve the problems he cannot handle. ▪ Abraham blames God for his troubles ▪ Blaming others, especially blaming God, is a sure sign of spiritual deterioration. A mature person takes responsibility for his own actions. ▪ Earthly solutions today include modern psychology, blame others ▪ This tendency ignores every divine provision, every blessing, every law, and every principle of suffering. f. God restates His promise, but 15 more years will elapse before is born. (Gen 15:4-6). vii. The Bitter Water Test – Exodus 15 a. Exodus 14, 15 b. This group saw the following miracles: ▪ They saw God 24 hours a day in the cloud and in the fire. ▪ In their terror of the Egyptians they prayed frantically to God to save them, and saw the Red Sea open up, crossed on dry land, and watched the army being destroyed as the waters closed back over them.